couldn’t hold back her needy moan. Christian smiled knowingly. He knew she was his for the taking.
“You must never forget, palomita , that two can play this game. And I have had much more practice than you.”
Christian released her, let go of the Door Close button and moved to the other side of the elevator. Although he appeared cool and calm, he was anything but that. Back in her apartment, when she had looked so seductive and tempting, he had wanted to slam the door shut and take her then and there, damn the consequences. He barely controlled himself as she passed by, the scent of apples following in her wake.
She was teasing him and that he would not tolerate. The monster stayed leashed inside him because he chose to keep it there. It had not been a problem for a long time, but if she continued to play with him, he knew the beast would come out. And he was sure it would frighten her.
She looked scared now, as the elevator stopped and the doors opened, but he didn’t think it was because of him. He had a feeling Alyssa had her own beast inside that wanted to break free. That scared her. He already knew she valued being in control, so he understood how she must feel right now. Nevertheless, she needed to know he would not stand for her teasing. It could easily turn dangerous for them both. He needed to concentrate on her protection. She needed to concentrate on getting through her next three speaking engagements—and staying alive.
The evening started out as planned. Alyssa was very quiet as they drove to the auditorium in his car. He didn’t interrupt her silence. He kept his mind where it belonged— on the job . Once they arrived, he escorted her to the room they had prepared. He had scanned the building while they walked, but didn’t see or sense anything out of place or unusual.
He checked her room thoroughly. Satisfied that she was safe in the small waiting room, he said, “I’m going to do one more scan of the building. Lock the door as soon as I leave and don’t let anyone but me in. Understand?”
Alyssa hadn’t spoken since they left her apartment. She acted startled by his voice. Her far-off gaze shifted and focused on him.
“What?” She looked confused, disoriented.
What was she thinking about? Her eyes looked vulnerable, they called to him— No. He was here to do a job. Nothing more.
“I’m going to check out the building. Stay here, lock the door and don’t let anyone except me in.” His voice was gruff and unyielding, even to his own ears.
Her lips thinned and her brow furrowed. He knew that look. She was irritated.
“Fine,” she said.
That was her only reply before turning away, as if he no longer existed. Then she began rummaging through her bag.
“Fine,” he said through clenched teeth. He slammed the door a little harder than necessary as he left the room.
Alyssa’s shoulders slumped. She released a loud sigh as Christian left the room. Her body was shaking from the effort not to cry. She would not let this happen. She had seen what it had done to her mother and promised herself she would never live that way. Waiting expectantly for a man to come home, revolving her whole life around him, basing all her decisions, big or small, on what he thought. That was no way to live. Her mother’s suicide was proof of that.
Back in that elevator, for just a sliver of a moment, she had wanted to do exactly that, whatever it took to please Christian. To forget who she was and try to be who he wanted her to be, to make him desire her as much as she desired him. She had lost her self-control.
Shame washed over her. She had never let this happen before. Why him? Why now? It had to be the uncertainty of her situation. The fact that she had so little say in what was going on. But one thing she knew for certain, it wouldn’t happen again. She couldn’t let it. She would keep her distance from Christian. That was the only way. And when her last motivational speech was done, she
“You must never forget, palomita , that two can play this game. And I have had much more practice than you.”
Christian released her, let go of the Door Close button and moved to the other side of the elevator. Although he appeared cool and calm, he was anything but that. Back in her apartment, when she had looked so seductive and tempting, he had wanted to slam the door shut and take her then and there, damn the consequences. He barely controlled himself as she passed by, the scent of apples following in her wake.
She was teasing him and that he would not tolerate. The monster stayed leashed inside him because he chose to keep it there. It had not been a problem for a long time, but if she continued to play with him, he knew the beast would come out. And he was sure it would frighten her.
She looked scared now, as the elevator stopped and the doors opened, but he didn’t think it was because of him. He had a feeling Alyssa had her own beast inside that wanted to break free. That scared her. He already knew she valued being in control, so he understood how she must feel right now. Nevertheless, she needed to know he would not stand for her teasing. It could easily turn dangerous for them both. He needed to concentrate on her protection. She needed to concentrate on getting through her next three speaking engagements—and staying alive.
The evening started out as planned. Alyssa was very quiet as they drove to the auditorium in his car. He didn’t interrupt her silence. He kept his mind where it belonged— on the job . Once they arrived, he escorted her to the room they had prepared. He had scanned the building while they walked, but didn’t see or sense anything out of place or unusual.
He checked her room thoroughly. Satisfied that she was safe in the small waiting room, he said, “I’m going to do one more scan of the building. Lock the door as soon as I leave and don’t let anyone but me in. Understand?”
Alyssa hadn’t spoken since they left her apartment. She acted startled by his voice. Her far-off gaze shifted and focused on him.
“What?” She looked confused, disoriented.
What was she thinking about? Her eyes looked vulnerable, they called to him— No. He was here to do a job. Nothing more.
“I’m going to check out the building. Stay here, lock the door and don’t let anyone except me in.” His voice was gruff and unyielding, even to his own ears.
Her lips thinned and her brow furrowed. He knew that look. She was irritated.
“Fine,” she said.
That was her only reply before turning away, as if he no longer existed. Then she began rummaging through her bag.
“Fine,” he said through clenched teeth. He slammed the door a little harder than necessary as he left the room.
Alyssa’s shoulders slumped. She released a loud sigh as Christian left the room. Her body was shaking from the effort not to cry. She would not let this happen. She had seen what it had done to her mother and promised herself she would never live that way. Waiting expectantly for a man to come home, revolving her whole life around him, basing all her decisions, big or small, on what he thought. That was no way to live. Her mother’s suicide was proof of that.
Back in that elevator, for just a sliver of a moment, she had wanted to do exactly that, whatever it took to please Christian. To forget who she was and try to be who he wanted her to be, to make him desire her as much as she desired him. She had lost her self-control.
Shame washed over her. She had never let this happen before. Why him? Why now? It had to be the uncertainty of her situation. The fact that she had so little say in what was going on. But one thing she knew for certain, it wouldn’t happen again. She couldn’t let it. She would keep her distance from Christian. That was the only way. And when her last motivational speech was done, she
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